2 Children Die, 2 Others Hurt In Fire

Two girls were killed and two other persons, including another child, were injured Tuesday when a fire swept through a Lawndale apartment, fire officials said.

A woman suffered burns before she escaped through a first-floor window, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jed Weidell. The children were found in a rear bedroom, he said.

The fire broke out at about 11 p.m. in the kitchen or the rear bedroom of the first-floor apartment at 3015 W. 19th St., Weidell said. The cause was not immediately determined.

An unidentified girl, about 9 years old, was pronounced dead early Wednesday at Mt. Sinai Hospital, and another unidentified girl, about 12 years old, was listed in critical condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Another unidentified girl, who was under 10 years old, died at St. Anthony Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

The woman was listed in critical condition at Cook County Hospital, according to a hospital spokesman. Initial reports from fire communications said the woman had burns over 70 percent of her body.

Weidell did not know if the second-floor apartment in the 1/2-story brick building was vacant.